City of Heroes: The San Francisco Chronicles
by shiney103
Summary: This is the story of two rookie heroes in the midst of the new expansion effort to revive the ruined city of San Francisco after the Rikti invasion. Follow their misadventures as they face all the usual hero trials, and more. Rating for everything.
1. Powers

SUMMARY: This is the story of two rookie heroes in the midst of the United States' new expansion effort to revive the ruined city of San Francisco, after the Rikti invasion, given the success of Paragon city. Follow their misadventures as they face every trial a hero should, and lesser known perils such as paying the rent and food poisoning. Rating for future violence, drug references, language, and other reasons.

Legal information: Neither author owns anything, and we are poor. So if you must sue us, expect to obtain our livelihood: An expired public library membership, and a ratty pair of running shoes.

By now, most of you should know the story of Paragon City. The amazing city, brought to be the last hope of western civilization through the combined efforts of 'super heroes' everywhere, thanks to the statesman's call for super powered assistance. Paragon City's relief efforts have been so successful, and the heroes have multiplied in such numbers, that a new program is being set up, to spread relief and order across the united states. This follows the first city to receive this 'Stimulus package' consisting of several highly ranked heroes, along with many rookies and initiates, and everything they need to create an armed fortress in the heart of San Francisco's crime-plagued ruins, and begin administering order. Which, if paragon city is any indicator, involves administering great deals of violence to criminals and wrongdoers.

Named after the central hub of 'super' activity through Paragon city, this fortress was titled "Neo Atlas Park", and armed more like a military installation than a humanitarian effort. A modular building defended by steel plates, razor wire, and machine guns, this installation saw action within moments of deployment as mutants, freaks, fiends, and looters flocked, and those who attacked were viciously cut down by the defenses and heroes. Afterwards, the heroes came out like skirmishers, slowly, steadily, and violently pushed the 'undesirables' backwards, creating a safe zone, block by block, street by street. Soon, they began to hire local workers, repairing damages, fixing electrical and plumbing systems. Around the 'ground zero' of the relief effort, life came to resemble something almost normal. There was clean, flowing water, jobs, offices, even banks as people became able to return to their normal lives after almost a decade of the lowest form of anarchy. This has been just one neighborhood though, and a whole city, and more, awaits for those willing to make a name for themselves fighting the good fight…

With the initial area secure, forces move outwards, the most powerful heroes fighting on the raw edge, forcing all the vile powers that be back a step at a time, reclaiming, and securing new territory. This leaves the central areas a seeming prime target, devoid of the toughest soldiers and powerful heroes. But just as with Paragon city, the Neo Atlas Park station began issuing new licenses to all willing to fight as superheroes, and with this, comes certain benefits, and a basic stipend. Thus, the central areas are always swarming with those newly licensed and just waiting to test themselves, and other vigilantes who refuse any kind of registration.

Powers

What are you gonna do nowadays folks when you can barely walk down the streets without getting mugged? She happened to be minding her own business and walking home from another unsuccessful job interview. Some people were just prejudice nowadays. _"So I have arms and legs that ran on electricity. Honestly it should be counted as a disability, but of course I can walk fine, talk fine, and can use every inch of my arms and hands."_ She thought to herself. It took quite a bit of willpower to keep from letting them figure out how easily she could use it for violent means. Which, if you weren't paying too much attention, meant that she was a cape. You know, a cape. Slang for superhero. Meaning she kicks bad guy ass. But, she didn't register as an official one, so it also meant she wasn't paid and the compensation really sucked working outside the system. The name? Well she didn't have a super name because all the good ones were already taken. So she just went by Johnny B Good or Johnny Appleseed, as the situation merited. She didn't care that it was a boys' name she was born with, what she cared about was that she was out of a job. Without being an official cape, she was on her last ounce of cash trying to live in a shitty two bedroom apartment with a good friend of hers, so job hunting was crucial but none of them wanted a super to deal with part time; it just meant more targets for villains.

But I digress, back to the mugging thing. Being peeved as hell about not getting the job, she needed to unleash a bit stress. So she had been walking home, to shout, bitch, and moan about people to her friend when of course thugs had to pop out of literally the woodwork and see what all men wanted to see. They saw a girl about 5'6 with black hair with neon green highlights that went down to her shoulders. They saw slim curves in places, slender legs, and arms that were tone, they saw vulnerability beneath the white hoodie she wore. They didn't see the hands or the arms that held the circuitry that was fused into her flesh and marrow, what they saw was black fingerless gloves with nails that were trimmed, more tools for perversion. Blue jeans had little tears and were defiantly worn but it wasn't design it showed hard work, for them just another obstruction and where they wished they saw heels they saw converse. They saw something weaker than them; something to use and throw away. The eyes had such a deep green forest to them as if you could be lost in them. She seemed to have a bit of Asian in her a slight tilt of the eyes but. The way her body held itself showed tension and the light curling of her hands into fists. Her face was soft with a small dimple under her right eye her lips seemed to curl into what would turn lesser men away it held confidence the slightest hint of rage turned into joy.

What she saw was punching bags. Trash to be taken out and scum to punish for ever thinking they could do what they do without consequence. She didn't have it in her to play the scared victim she had a long walk home and even longer session of working off frustration on these guys. She twitched just a second and smiled serenely. The thugs chuckled as they started to circle her some licking their lips and others having itching fingers. "You all alone out here? Huh girly you all alone… Lookin' for a good time?" The guy laughed and so did the others. He turned and then Johnny looked kind of pumped as she bounced a little back and forth on her toes and took a couple swings with her gloves on. "Yeah… I need a good time you gents mind showin' me what you got?"

Johnny had quite a feat ahead of her with at least 6 of them she could end up in rough shape by the end of this fight but that's not what mattered it was more that she could soak later. She inhaled and closed her eyes and the exhaled she had lowered her center her gravity for her combat. The guys moved in a loose semi circle, they weren't necessarily stupid but they weren't pro's either. She figured _he who attacks fist wins, s_o she literally threw herself at the combat. She put on a small burst of speed and lowered herself dodging a wild jab. As it went past her shoulder, she rammed her shoulder into the guys chest and he got a rather unpleasant shock as the man convulsed a little in her arms and went down. The men did not wait for her to get up as one ran up and kicked her side the other either pulled weapons or went right after her. Johnny hit the ground and rolled with it and when she had landed on her feet she swept out a kick and nailed one guy in the kneecap tripping him, his head deftly making a satisfying crack on the ground. One of the men pulled a combat knife from his boot and pointed at her and another man broke a bottle against the brick building. The slums themselves seemed to have it out for her. With the sun dwindling down more of the night filled with sounds of grunting and flesh being devastated one bruise and punch at time. By the end of it she had 6 of them unconscious some worse for wear but they'd get up.

Johnny had been through the ringer her white hoodie was covered in muck and grime, her jeans had officially torn at the knee's she had lost one of her gloves when she had gotten slashed at. Wires and circuitry showed on her palm and the back of her hand. Her hair had a small twig in it and she had a couple bruises. With the fight she could feel the ache in her body after the workout she wasn't quite up to par with super standards but the hell she couldn't handle herself decently in a fight. She looked up at the sky holding her arm and smiled as she headed home.

It didn't take long for her to reach the apartment, technically owned by her friend Price, but shared by the both of them. They had been through thick and thin together in Paragon city, and he was nothing but supportive of her trying to be an unregistered hero, and went with her in the mass-move to San Francisco saying he needed a "change of scenery." She used the key she kept with her at all times, and entered the apartment. Inside, the apartment was sparsely decorated, but clean. Her friend Price sat with his large somewhat nerdy glasses, neatly cut short brown hair, and hazel eyes at the kitchen table where a number of Chinese food boxes sat, as he was nursing a large cut on his arm, and seemed to be favoring his right side.

Johnny had seen a couple things since being here that involved Price. Random accidents that she was never there for and Price being usually messed up. She had learned that he valued privacy and she could respect that, especially since he had been so understanding about her going to San Francisco that he even came along for the ride and helped her out with rent and such. She bit her lip as she looked at him and went with her usual comment "What the hell happened to you?" she said as she slid her hoody off to reveal that she had on only a black tank top under it with her bra straps showing as they hung around her upper arm. She lightly kicked off the converse and walked towards her room as she opened up her laundry basket and tossed the white hoodie now covered in grime in muck into and went back jumped over the couch and landed on her but as she took off her fingerless gloves and discarded them somewhere. She stared at Price and sighed the guy wasn't necessarily a mystery just got into strange accidents sometimes. But he had brought Chinese and her curiosity oddly vanished as her stomach growled at her and she flushed a little and grabbed a bowl and spoon.

One of the things you would notice about Johnny was that technology ran down the length of her lower arms and across her fingertips circuitry that sparkled in blips of red and neon green. It looked like a little light show but sometimes skin peeked out through the mess of electrical power. The same could be said for her feet she was very much a cape and it showed through the enhancements on her arms and feet. She lightly twirled the spoon between her fingers as she started to serve herself some of the chicken and some fried rice. "So, what happened to you this time?" She asked once she had her food, and flopped back onto the couch. "Bike messenger, clipped me on the way back." He said, not rudely, but dismissively, as if it wasn't worth his time to consider the problem. Johnny paused at that, thinking. "Isn't that a quote from a movie?" Price just shrugged. "Dunno, but it fucking hurt. Talk later, lo mein now." He finished, taking a new serving for himself.

She sighed softly and shook her head softly as she let the matter drop as she looked at him "What'd you do today anyways?" She said. Price actually took a moment from his lo mein to organize his thoughts, staring into space as he did when he actually had to think hard. About two seconds later he said "Not much, I'm looking for a dojo, or maybe a swordsmanship school. I mean after all, you may be a knight in shining armor, but you can't be around to save me all the time, can you?" She nodded deftly and started to much on her food. "True that, true that."

Earlier that day, a similar brawl was occurring, but for (slightly) less selfish reasons. A fairly young girl found herself in a similar position, without the advent of super powers to keep herself safe. It was a fairly simple sob story, thugs come up behind her, scare her, easily herd the frightened girl into a secluded alleyway, and start to move in for the kill. They had surrounded the young brunette when they heard the guy they had guarding the entrance tip them off to a problem. He didn't call the safe word so much as gurgle slightly, but it was enough. They turned to find Jim impaled on a European sword of some kind, the whole thing looking silvery and ornate. At the other end of the sword was a young man in a large, suede black leather jacket. Underneath was an olive green vest, and white T-shirt, with bluejeans and black combat boots. He had long blonde hair, and his eyes were hidden by a pair of gaudy red sunglasses, and his lower face covered by a red bandanna. He drew the sword out in a smooth motion, and kicked Jim backwards, where he lay. Now, heroes weren't supposed to be free-wheeling killers, but the job had to be done, and very few people gave the capes crap for giving the criminals 'just incentive.' Now, these criminals, being partially high, partially drunk, broke, and angry almost as much as their comrade's death as the interruption of their fun time, made the decision to rush the intruder, hoping to deal with this obviously rookie cape who couldn't even afford a costume. There was four thugs to one hero, not very good odds, considering they were rushing a man with a sword when they had brass knuckles and switchblades. The bum-rush ended poorly for everyone involved. The first man went down with a horizontal slash to the gut before he went down, the second hitting the rebound and going down with a deep gash in his chest. The third and fourth went in while our hero was recovering from these strikes, and as one bashed him in the chest with his spiked brass knuckles, the other clipped his arm with his knife, drawing a great deal of blood from the painful, but mostly superficial cut. With a curse and a roar, the blonde physically kicked the offending puncher away, and brought his sword down to bear on the unlucky knife-wielder's head, and moved to kick the last man who had only been stunned, into unconsciousness. Stained with blood, bruised through his Kevlar vest, and bleeding from his arm, he grunted a bit, before turning to the girl as he sheathed the sword in a scabbard on his back. "Are you all right, ma'am?" He asked, and she nodded mutely, before running off. People got used to all sorts of things, but even this took a while. "Sir Percival," as he liked to call himself on duty waited for a few moments to make sure the girl was gone. He then moved his wig, revealing short, neatly cut brown hair, and wiping the sweat from his brow. Then he moved over to the dead or injured thugs, and began to go through their personal effects, wallets, jewelry, social security numbers, etc. It made for a good paycheck after all. All this time, he was muttering darkly as to what he'd give to actually have some powers…

Authors' note:

Shiney: Well, here is the story jointly created by myself and The_Tramp_Truffle, hope you enjoyed our first attempt at posting something publicly, please read & review, as there's no point making a good story if we don't know how to make it better. ^_^

The_Tramp_Truffle: So… Here we are. Hi. Nice weather we are havin'….. Tough crowd. So yeah our first story and many more to come even if I have to scoop the creative juice dregs from my ear!


	2. Origins

Legal information: Neither author owns anything, and we are poor. So if you must sue us, expect to obtain our livelihood: An expired public library membership, and a ratty pair of running shoes.

Oh yeah, also some instant pudding mix.

Shiney: Thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Remember, while food may fuel our systems, (And videogames rot our souls), we need reviews to keep us writing, so don't be shy. Here's a new chapter to the story, which should help shed some light on our heroes.

Chapter 2: Origins

Johnny had been through the ringer once or twice before. That was not the problem, the problem was the blood that filled her mouth, the way her body burned with pain, how she could feel the strain in her muscles as the tangy copper coated her gums. Johnny remembered what had happened the way the night seemed to call to her and a scream of terror rang shrill through the night as if a siren had screeched it's dying breath. She lightly sat up against the wall and her head hung her shoulders sagged the blood running from the cut across her head the way the blood dripped she swore she could feel her heartbeat in her skull. Her eyes looked up at her assailants and murmured something vulgar and proceeded to spit out the blood from her mouth.

_She had responded to a call for help, like any other cape she jumped into action and busted in the dark walls of brick seemed like an invitation to crash through but less damage less questions for her roomy to ask. She decided it would be wiser to use the door on the roof. She not only thought of the building but she had just put on clean clothes which consisted of Shorts with a green camo pattern with a grey hoodie with no pockets for her hands, the hood up that she had no sleeves, leaving her arms actually exposed showing that she was a hero of sorts. She wore simple nikes that did nothing to hide the other with the circuitry that crackled green with electric energy. She sighed as her finger flexed as she got ready to do something stupid. She looked down and knew she would hurt if she fucked up her jump. She sighed took a few breaths and turned around and walked back of steps. Johnny turned in a blur and sprinted towards the end of the building and leaped forward across the gap aiming for the other roof. She could see the gravel, how it looked like it, how it would tear through skin, the electric box the antenna and other such things one would find on a roof. As she leapt she had managed to actually over-jump her target and cursed as she actually hit the wooden door that went downstairs. As she closed her eyes she heard the hinges snap off and she actually went down on to the door she had hit on her side as slid down the stairs at rapid descent and when it hit the bottom step Johnny went through another door. Instinctively she held her head to avoid unnecessary damage. _

'Sir Percival' was already there as Johnny finished her tumble down the stairs, dazing herself to a stupor somewhere in the fall. Quickly checking on his friend, he noted her pulse, and amazing lack of broken bones. He straightened himself up, drawing his sword. It was bitter-sweet by definition. Where he knew that he and Johnny were both heroes, he despised the lengths she had gone for her powers, yet envied the power. He loved the fact that they were going out and doing the right thing, yet he envied her sincere motives over his mercenary. He loved nearly everything about what she had done, and tried his best to imitate, only creating a corrupted image of her deeds. As he heard the thugs coming in, he started to think of the exact things that lead his friend, and through her, him down their paths…

_It was a while ago, back in Paragon City. Price, a friend, hoping to be more with a wonderful girl with a boy's name, honestly didn't know how to respond. Johnny was in his house, sobbing her eyes out. It had been recent news, just this afternoon. Amanda, Johnny's best friend had died today. One of those few 'special needs' children who always seemed all the more powerful for her weakness, Amanda hadn't let crutches slow her down, and her natural charisma and positive attitude made everyone like her, without exception. It had been sudden, a drunk driver. There had been no warning, it had been one of those cheesy Japanese imports, racing along almost faster than you could see, smashing Amanda, who was barely two feet away from Johnny, completely unharmed. It had been horrible, and Johnny had been ruined. Price had been planning on confessing that he had feelings, and that he was willing to learn to be the person she wanted, despite his lack of social skills, but now, it looked like all that was in ruins._

As Johnny Appleseed slowly got to her feet, she shook her head to make sure the scene wasn't some hallucination. There was some freak with a sword wearing a bandanna literally taking the thugs down, despite catching a few bullets in the cramped hall. Sir Percival fought onward, his mind walking down a different path than his body.

_Johnny was dead. Not literally, but inside, a large part of her had simply curled up and faded away. Price knew the signs, he had taken several psychology courses. There was nothing to be done though, but the lengths she had gone to were… Extreme. She had gone to a state of the art research firm, and literally signed away her life to them. She had sold herself to them, body, and soul. Eager for human experiments, they started trying to create successful weaponized electrical cybernetics that wouldn't be rejected by living tissue. With a four percent chance of survival, she lived. And then, experiments completed, and with nothing else to live for, she turned to the hero path, seeking out a living and sating her horrible emotions in the violence she inflicted on others. Also, she saw it as a way to stop anyone from violating the law. But price didn't know this. All he knew was that she had become a true hero over the course of a few months, pulling herself together and becoming stronger than ever. She seemed more wonderful now than ever, but all the more out of reach…_

Now, these thugs were used to rookie capes who fought with weird tools or in unusual ways, but the ones with swords usually had weird powers like speed, or regeneration, but this guy just stood there. They could see that he wasn't one of those invulnerable types from the way he was bleeding, bruised, and marred from the fighting, but he kept on moving forward, cutting through them like a thresher through wheat, despite bullets, brass knuckles, and knives. Then Johnny began to join the fight, and they broke soon after seeing the electrically powered brawler enter the fray again. With the thugs fleeing for their lives, the two heroes looked at each other again, hard green eyes that gave away nothing meeting red lenses that showed nothing. "So," Johnny said after a long moment. "Who the fuck are you?" The kid in long blonde hair gave this flamboyant bow as he sheathed that sword on his back. "I'm Sir Percival. You'll have to forgive me, my shining armor is in the shop." Johnny scoffed, wiping a small trail of blood from her mouth. "Funny, it's good to see someone with a sense of humor in this hellhole." Percival just shrugged, praying that his 'singing' voice would be different enough to keep her from recognizing. After knowing a cynical asshole with hardly a care in the world, it was hard to put that voice to a sincere and heroic tone. "Take care, all right?" The Blonde asked her, and Johnny nodded, not wanting to admit that she had been brash, but knowing she'd do the same stupid thing next time. Johnny walked off, and Percival waited once more, before going about to loot those who were unconscious, dead, or too messed up to resist. Meanwhile, his mind began wandering once more.

_Price fumed as he stalked his apartment in paragon. There were burn marks in the living room carpet and walls, the kitchen as trashed entirely. His bedroom had a collection of knives, clubs, and other miscellaneous weapons rammed into the walls and furniture, and the only thing that seemed unharmed was a corner computer desk. He turned, his hand snapping towards a pewter statue of the Eifel Tower, which in a moment, turned out to be an elaborate knife as it found a spot embedded in his mattress. It wasn't fair. He was afraid, he couldn't take those insane risks like Johnny had, to become powerful. A four percent chance of survival wasn't for him. But he hated himself, hated his weakness, he had to get power somehow. It might be selfish, but he couldn't help it. Seeing Johnny rise to power, overcoming every obstacle in her path was inspiring, but also infuriating to someone with such an inferiority complex like Price. There was talk of a new program to relieve San Francisco, but that was months off from being official, but it meant opportunity for rookie heroes like Johnny. Finally, from a clarity born of desperation, he realized that there was a way. Not the best, not even real, but it was something. He sat down at the computer, and pulled up his search engines, both domestic, foreign, and the illegal variety. Quickly, he began to search on a number of topics. Kevlar was expensive, but it would be necessary. Lead lined glasses were harder, but possible, performance enhancing drugs? Not yet, but maybe later. And there were books, manuals, techniques… Finally, his bank account almost fully depleted, he sat back in his four hundred dollar office chair, and swiveled around to look at his wall. There was one weapon left in its proper place, lording over the others on a proper mantle. A silvery European sword, kept in fine condition, and bearing an inscription in European characters that no one alive today read without a degree in language and history. A few of the words on the ancestral sword stood out as price stared at it. "Pervical Aprhees…" He muttered to himself the archaic version of his family name, Price. A few long moments passed, and then, for the first time in years, he gave a genuine smile._

Author's Note

Shiney: Well, there we are, another marvelous chapter. Whee. Seriously though, by all means, keep on the reviews. Constructive criticism helps, positive feedback inspires us to write more, and flames make us laugh at stupid people, so go on, give us something here. Thanks to our readers out there!

The-Tramp_Truffle: Well said. Any way we have had three reviews and appreciate them very much and hope more people take notice and we'll give back more super human actions! Tune next time Children.


	3. A Bad Day Pt 1

Legal information: Neither author owns anything, and we are poor. So if you must sue us, expect to obtain our livelihood: An expired public library membership, and a ratty pair of running shoes.

Oh yeah, also some instant pudding mix, and a box of tamales.

Author's Note:

Shiney: Well, here we are. Another great chapter. Tramp couldn't be here right now because he's busy sleeping off a night of hard partying. But, enjoy, one of our larger ones yet, and one actually hinting at PLOT. Yay.

Bad Day Part 1

Another day in San Francisco, the shining daylight, the blistering , the populace out and about in abundance. The streets that seemed to radiate heat off the black top, the honking of horns and the pounding of the pavement. It was a normal day in the city. Well, for most people at least. For Johnny Appleseed it was one of those few rare occasions she could act like her old self. Herself before the experiments and the disaster. As most people crime fighting is tough business you risk a lot while fighting and this is not limited to clothes one of Johnny's more recent skirmishes had left her with very little choices and that had to change. After her mother had sent a care package with enough money to keep her for a bit, after subtracting living costs Johnny still had some left over to go clothes shopping which meant she had to drag her conscience with her. So there she was fighting tooth and nail with, Price.

"But it looks so cute!" she whined, as she had picked up something… A dress. It was indeed cute, Price had to admit, albeit from a cynical point of view, as he didn't understand why he had to come here with her, not that he didn't enjoy being around her. He just didn't like spending four hours looking for just the right thing when he could usually find something in ten minutes. The dress was subtle, a dark green fabric that went well with Johnny's coloring, with smooth fabric that Price couldn't identify. It was simple on its basic level, smooth fabric that hugged the curves, but didn't overtly advertise them. Above this level were small ruffles, not covering the dress, but angled, accentuating the gentle image of the dress. Small, curving straps rested on the shoulders, and it stopped just below the knee, which was where Price had to be practical. "It is… cute. I won't lie, but keep in mind that if you wear something like that, you'll be showing off your circuitboards." He said, not trying to be rude, but he had to be honest.

"I know" she said a little saddened by that fact but she lightly punched his arm just a little tap and lightly felt self conscience about her circuit board. Normally but she felt like having her time. Ever since the incident, as it had been dubbed, her more girly side didn't get to see day light much and she felt like she should dress up just once even if no one saw. "But that's not the point…" she said as she lightly held the dress up and held a small smile. She had brought Price because he would see the more practical side of things and this was everything but practical. She couldn't fight in this, nor could she very much wear it out a lot, it was supposed to be something special. She looked at it then at Price. "But…but..." she wasn't getting anywhere fast and she knew it so she decided to play her trump card. "Can I at least try it on?" she asked in almost a whimper.

Price thought for a moment, and wondered to himself why she seemed to be asking him permission. "Yes, you can try it on, you can even get it if you want, and I think it looks great. I'm just saying, you may have to deal with people who aren't as forward thinking, nor appreciative as I." He said, then quickly shook his head, feigning a loud yawn. He was starting to talk like Percival sometimes, and it was inconvenient. He'd have to start being more careful. "Anyway, Go ahead, I'm just saying, make sure that you really want it before you get it."

She giggled a little and told Price to sit still and wait why she headed off to the changing room and got the room. She let her thoughts slowly spill out into her head with nothing to specifically to focus on she started to think of her more recent and memorable encounter. She lightly slid off her blue jeans with a couple of shimmy's and lightly folded them and set them on the bench. She lightly twirled her finger in her hair; a nervous habit of hers. "Sir Percival." She murmured trying to put a finger on the guy. She started to strip to her undergarments which included black cotton bra and panties as she lightly slipped into the emerald dress. She slid her hands through and lightly drummed her fingers against her circuit board. She thought on the man, and how he just seemed built for battle; how he kept going even though he didn't have powers. To her that was a power she wished she could have. The power to continue to fight even with natural limitations; to go on no matter what. She sighed and banished the thought form her mind with the mumbling. "I hope that doesn't come back and bite me in the ass." She murmured and lightly tried on the heels that came with dress and for some reason she began to feel self conscious, and it wasn't about other people seeing her less than human parts. In truth, it was more that Price was going to be the one to see her. She lightly slapped her face and just stopped thinking; it was getting her into a train of thought that was hurting her head, not to mention being a little weird. So she stepped out with her left foot a little hung back as she looped her left arm around her back to grab her right. "Well?"

Price looked up suddenly, and focused himself on the scene in front of him. His eyes widened almost before he realized it, and he coughed quickly to try and hide the gesture. He wasn't sure why, but he always struggled to hide his emotions, even from her. Just a long childhood of being paranoid about everything, he supposed. It was weird by anyone's standards, nodes beginning just in front of her elbow, faintly glowing green as it continued down her arm, becoming more and more detailed until it reached her hands, where metal was clearly visible. It wasn't that he necessarily had a techno fetish, but he felt that it added to her unique charm. That, and his feelings for her were always volatile, all the more intense when she seemed someone other than a reclusive brawler. "You look amazing in that, forget what I said earlier." He said, not even thinking about how that may come across. He was just being obvious.

An awkward moment stretched on, for an immeasurable time, but then the two were moving on, purchased dress being carried by Price, of course.

Later on, the two were at an ice-cream parlor, again at Johnny's insistence. While Price would have never gone there himself, he never, ever would have complained. It was quality time that he never had to explain as his cynical self, spent with Johnny. They were sitting across from each other, and they were each having something unique to them. Johnny had Mint which led to an eerily green overtone to everything about her, Price not much better with dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and dark chocolate ice cream. Anyone who walked by would have noted their conversation, and thought they would have made a great couple, but good times simply can't last. They overheard from a police officer chatting with the parlor owner, more specifically, his radio as it called out a local robbery taking place at the U.S.A.A. Bank. Johnny' tensed up, realizing another opportunity, and then her face fell as she became aware that she was being caught between duty and pleasure. Price just sighed, brushing the issue aside. "Go, have fun. I'll take care of all this, and take the stuff in time. " She nodded, and said "Sorry." And just like that, she was off. Price sighed a bit, trying to remember where the U.S.A.A. bank was. Maybe he couldn't have any kind of normal life around her, but Sir Percival wasn't normal.

At the bank in question, people were terrorized, fleeing in horror, smoke churning from windows consumed by flame. Of course the bank wouldn't burn down, it was solid reinforced steel, but all the nice wood paneling, spackle, office furniture, etc. That was all expendable. Several people were standing quite calmly in the bank, one of them laughing not so calmly. A young man with a spiky white hairdo was floating around the bank, every inch of skin covered by black and red leather, chains, a trenchcoat, and a mask with a gleeful demonic appearing face. Jack Bale, a Psychotic Pyrokinetic, Sociopath, and general not-nice guy. He floated, babbling internet memes and obscenities as bank security was forced to flee or be reduced to cinders. Nearby, all ground-bound were more oddballs. An older dark-skinned man with a long graying mane of hair, a vicious scar crossing horizontally between orange-yellow eyes, dressed in a business suit with two modern pistols in hand. With him were a number of thugs, most looking like grizzled street toughs and gang members. Lucas D'Vampe, founder of the Hellraisers. Beside him stood a blonde woman who's business suit did little to restrain ample… Assets, as she looked around with rose-tinted glasses. She held a more futuristic assault rifle in hand, and with her were obvious PMC troops, or mercenaries for the vocabulary challenged. General Vanna, the group's technological knowhow and military connection. By now, the security was gone, and someone else was walking up. A young girl, no more than sixteen with long flowing hair in a shade of red you saw on fire engines or in anime. In addition, massive red cat ears poked through the long hair, and a similarly red tail poked out from the martial artist's Gi that she wore. Amy Bale, the adopted daughter of Jack. She walked up to the vault, a massive metal door recessed, held in place by countless hydraulic steel locks, bars, and computer systems.

Her ears twitching slightly in irritation, Amy grabbed a hold of the door, and began to pull. And she continued to pull. At first, it was ridiculous, but she continued. Slowly, there came the sound of steel groaning, the door began to bend, steel beginning to scream, and at long last…. The bars that served to open the lock tore away in her hand, sending her flying backwards with a surprised yell. She cursed a bit, standing up and chucking the piece of steel that weighed almost eighteen times was she did aside, and scowled at the wall. "I'm going to have to go through it the hard way." The girl said, analyzing the door. "Give me another two or three minutes, and I'll have it open. Go to the front and get ready for the capes, I need to focus." Lucas and Vanna nodded, walking out. Jack floated out, forgetting to turn himself right side up as he exited, calling to the young cat-girl "Make Daddy proud!"

Back at the entryway, Johnny was already walking in the shattered glass door. New waves of police were coming in, and it was generally looking bad for whatever small time villains had managed to attack a bank. That's when General Vanna and Lucas D'Vampe reminded law enforcement who they were. Vanna's rifle gave some technological noises, not unlike a synthesizer, and a shield, her own specialty technology appeared first around her, Lucas, and then their followers. Their next step was to open fire. Thankfully, Johnny had time to dive behind a pillar. Some of the police storming in weren't so lucky. "Quickly!" Lucas said, waving his left hand, pistol held high. "Cut us a way out of these motherfuckers to the ride out!" Vanna nodded, adding "The rest of you, prepare to help transport the money out of the vault." At that point, the advance began, bulletproof money-hungry murderers advancing on law-enforcement. Johnny stayed out of the way for the moment, but she was interrupted by several things happening around the same general timeframe. First, she noticed Sir Percival again, diving through a window frame that had anything else burned out of it a while back. Next, even as the guns were fighting their way out, they heard the sound of screaming steel once more, and this time, the floor shook as Amy came forth, riding the vault across the floor in a massive shower of sparks. Percival leapt in time to avoid becoming crushed by the vault door, but had the misfortune to land facing off with Amy.

Johnny charged in, as it would be several more minutes before any other capes arrived. After all, they hadn't set up a generalized communication system here yet like they had in paragon, and word spread more slowly. Her limbs charged with electrical power as green lightning crackled against the ground where her feet had been, she dashed out at incredible speed, leaping over obstacles with Olympian ease. Closing in on the older man, she charged her limbs even more, flying around in a flurry as he brought his pistols to bear. He fired several shots, most miraculously missing as the electricity guided her nerve impulses along at truly superhuman speeds, allowing her to be dodging the moment Lucas' expression said he was going to shoot. On the vault door, Sir Percival had his sword drawn, advancing on Amy steadily. She just shrugged, cracking her neck with a sound comparable to 2 x 4's snapping. He charged in, his sword flashing. Barely missing the first several blows, she reached up with one hand, and winced, surprised. His sword dug in, drawing blood from her hand, but his two-handed overhanded swing had been stopped dead by her now cut palm. Amy was stunned, as this was the first time something had hurt her in the past two years. Most things like bullets, missiles, and spells just bounced off. Percival however, was also stunned, because with his strike being stopped so easily, and barely doing any damage, he now knew just how fucked he was. "Shitballs." He said, as Amy grabbed his sword, and bodily hurled him up over her head, slamming him back into the metal door, snapping most of his ribs in one fell swoop.

Johnny swung around, delivering a charged roundhouse kick while airborne that snapped the gun out of the old man's hand, and she winced as she came down on it. "That hurt, you've got a grip for an old fucker." She said, charging at him. "Thanks," He said, drawing some weird wooden carving from his jacket. "It takes a lot to steal good strength these days." As he held the thing high as she came back in to deliver what she thought would be a finishing punch. Some weird black dust shot from the ground like a sooty explosion, and her world went dark as she was chucked backwards in a series of flips before landing bodily, temporarily blinded. Vanna was talking to one of the mercenaries, and nodded, turning to the others. "We're good, we need to go, now." She said, walking outside to find Jack playing with another pair of capes. "Already?" He asked, the demonic face on his mask twisting into a hideous frown. "But grandmommy, I was having fun playing with the capes!" He said, pointing at the two severely charred beings in the ground, and several more burned corpses. "Now, Jack." Vanna said, a vein twitching in her forehead quite visibly. Sighing, he flew off, still forgetting that he was upside down. Lucas wasn't far behind him, and inside, Amy turned to leave. "Did I say, I was done, with y- you, y-yet?" She heard, and turned around to see the blonde rising to his feet. She blinked, surprised as she realized this kid didn't have any powers at all, or at least, none that seemed to help him. "No, but I did. Try and take it easy, you're injured." She said, and even as she was delivering this warning, she charged in as he began to bring his sword to bear. Grabbing his arm, she snapped it like a twig, and grabbing his other arm, she rammed the sword into his own stomach. It was like playing with a ragdoll with as much strength as she had. This time, Percival dropped like a sack of potatoes, and did not rise. Quickly, Amy made her escape with the rest of her 'family.'

Not long after, as paramedics were coming in, Johnny began to get her eyesight back, wondering what it was that had occurred, and she saw a terrible sight. Percival lay there on the vault door, an arm lying at a wrong angle, sword embedded in his stomach. She rushed over, looking at him. "Oh god, jesus…." The words sputtered from her lips she moved her hair out of her sight and shuttered as her hands went to the pierced stomach that the dark red blood gushed from and horrible memories started to flood her mind another friend another time and a very bad car accident she didn't cry but she just tried to slow the blood flow "Fuck, what can I do for you" she said as a slight tremor racked it's way from her lungs, hearing paramedics coming in, scrambling to their location. "Medical treatment, would be, n-nice." He muttered dryly. "Maybe a quick, painless death as opposed to this bullshit?" before in losing most of his ability to breathe, he slipped into unconsciousness.

She gave a cracked laugh "Freaking retard, should have got your armor from the shop" she muttered heatedly trying hard as she could to stem the flow of blood that gushed between her fingers and her circuitry. The way it felt gave her shivers and she banished thoughts form her mind as he fought keep life in the strange man. She dared not pull the sword out of his stomach. In the dim destruction she couldn't make out half of man with the bruises that formed around basically every part of his body. Soon enough, the paramedics were there, and he went off with emergency medical professionals, dealing with the other burn victims and gunshot wounds. All in all, it was a bad day for the heroes.

Author's Note:

Shiney: Yay, another fun chapter, and we finally see that our heroes can get their shit rocked. Tune in next time, and bring chicken wings.

The_Tramp_Truffle: CHICKEN!!!


	4. A Bad Day Pt 2

Legal information: We don't own anything, but pity me, because I'll be in basic training. T_T

A Bad Day Pt. 2

Author's note:

Shiney: Well, here we are, and I've got good and bad news. The bad news is that I've enlisted in the U.S. Air force, and will be gone for about 2-3 months. However, Tramp will be helping out, taking over, and posting a number of one-shots we've worked out in advance that have no effect on the continuity, and yet still provide some of that writing you people just lurve. So while I've got a little more than a week left, this is the last you'll here from me for a while.

The-Tramp_Truffle: Truffle here Shiney your sacrifice will not be in vain! But lets try and tone down the fan service I kinda want a story without my characters ending up whores….which they all ways do. Sad face T-T.

It had been a long couple of hours after the incident at the bank, Johnny Appleseed had gone into a depressed slump after some minor explanations to the police and various minor repairs to her systems. It had been a very hard day, and now she was heading home, ready to relax, and tell Price about how horrible her day was, and get some words of commiseration from her good friend, but before this had happened she had slummed through the alley ways of the San Francisco trying to get rid of horrible times long gone, of memories she didn't feel like thinking about. The rays of the day burning down the sky as it turned from bright to a deep red hue as she slowly entered the entrance to the apartment. Going up a flight of stairs saying "Hi" to certain neighbors and such, but mainly she just wanted to just tell Price how horrid this day had been.

As she entered the apartment, she found that Price was home when she got there, once again. This time, he was covered in several bandages across his torso, easily visible through his shirt, and his arm hung in a sling and cast. "What the _FUCK_ happened to you this time?" She yelled, almost tossing something at him. "Fight club." He said dismissively, as if this was completely normal. Anger, frustration and a number of emotions had made themselves apparent through the ordeal and now she was about to let it out on Price. Energy and lightning crackled beneath her fingers and she looked down at the floor and it slowly died as she hiccupped a small second and turned. "I'm tired Price…I'm tired of the day I can't seem to have a normal day anymore and I need to wash my hands of some blood." She said and just turned away not wanting to have a fight with him but not wanting to deal with his secrets either.

Price sighed himself. How was he supposed to reveal to her, that he was going out, risking his life, and getting hurt just because he couldn't stand to be weaker than her? He couldn't see a good solution, but now he knew that he had to find something to get better. He had to find more strength, more power. He almost died today, and so he had to get better, but how… More than a little upset with the whole situation, he went to his computer room, and began running some search programs. It was time for medical research.

Meanwhile, in a heavily armored van with a well-hidden machine gun mounted within the hood, several people stood in the back area looking at the looted bills and bullion. "You guys know I'm not licensed to be driving, right?" Amy called from the driver's seat, which met with several long moments of silence as both Lucas and Vanna were hesitant to admit they'd been so hasty as to not think of their driver's problems when they had told her to take the wheel earlier. "Well, just remember, pedestrians are ten points each." Jack said, to which Vanna quickly responded "No, they are NOT!" Amy just sighed from the driver's seat, thinking that she was the most mature one there. "I'm not an idiot…" She muttered to herself as she went after the secret route they had taken to reach the well-protected city.

They had a secret route in, once which no one knew about, and allowed them to be one of the few groups of people to bypass most of the defenses in the continental united states, and attack nearly any city they chose. Now was the ripe time to be attacking San Francisco, so they made the most of their attacks there. The Hellraisers were a small group, but dedicated to the Last. With varying ideals and goals, they were strong, varied, and thus far, by picking their battles carefully, had received little to no competition. Potent even against superheroes, they each had to give thought as to how those rookie capes had held them off for longer than most more experienced heroes. Jack was unconcerned, happy with burning things and spending time with his friend, Lucas, and his daughter, Amy. Maybe some more opportunity to burn other heroes later... Lucas was concerned, but not overly so, it was just a hurdle to be overcome. Vanna was utterly ambivalent, a mercenary through and through. It was a game of economics, science, and shifting loyalties. But few were so kind to her as her new family… As for Amy, she stared at the cut on her hand, disconcerted. He hadn't seemed magical, obviously not strong. It had seemed a regular sword, not some mechanical marvel. How had it cut her? She had taken missles before and walked away with not so much as a scratch.

Price sat at his expensive office chair, mumbling darkly to himself as he popped his painkillers. This sucked. He had found ways to enhance his muscle tissue, but it was going to be expensive therapy. He could afford it for busting drug dealers, but no matter how you looked at it, it was a _lot_ of money. But he had to learn to beat people with powers, even though San Francisco should have been protected from super villains, he knew he'd have to face the type again. Moreover, he had bought several books about esoteric fighting techniques, hoping to become more resilient to pain, but it was mostly religious mumbo-jumbo. But some of it looked interesting. But it was moot. No matter what resources he had, he couldn't do _ANYTHING_ until he was healed. He looked over to where it sounded like bass music was thumping through the walls from Johnny's room. Maybe he could just spend some time with Johnny without it being ruined, but he knew that even that was high hopes…

Johnny had meandered to her end of the apartment that Price had graciously gave her when they had gotten there since it came with its own bathroom. She had to be kind of careful when taking showers which basically meant to do a little override to deactivate the more electric parts of her. She discarded the tattered jeans that were covered from dry wall particles and other such things. Her shirt came off next and soon enough she had all of her clothes off her curvaceous body and she lightly stared at her reflection. The circuitry was mainly in her biceps and triceps but it showed as it went down to her hands. Her lightly tanned skin was mostly untarnished again the circuitry ran down her legs and her feet. As she flipped off the light it went pitch dark, except her body, her hands and feet glowed like the electricity that sparked from her powers and at the small of her back glowed a small chip that glowed green around what looked like an old scar already faded to white. She sighed and tapped her fingers against her back and her neon green hands and feet dimmed to nothing more than a flicker as nothing but the sound of water dropping was heard.

After a long shower of trying to scrub away memories that haunted her she stood up letting the water droplets drip down her body between her breasts and down her toned stomach and between her thighs. She didn't feel like doing much anything but going to sleep. She sighed softly and wrapped herself in the soft towel and walked out barefoot into her room and decided she needed a nap and wake up to waffles. "That's what I need some rest and waffles in the morning…" she said and lightly opened to her room which was mainly decorated with a galleria of paraphernalia of rock bands and books covered her…well book shelf where it was almost full to bursting with books and the occasional movie. She sighed as she took a look at her hammock: She liked the floating feeling it gave her. But the main attraction to the room was her entertainment center which featured a ungodly huge sub woofer for her stereo as she lightly picked a remote and pressed a button. It started off with a great guitar solo with kick ass drum only to be ripped open by the lead guitarist and she went to her closet to grab her pajama pants and when she opened her closet shock crossed her face and then a small smile. She lightly pulled out the dress she had picked out from her shopping trip it was already hung up and she knew Price was behind it. She lightly set it back and decided tomorrow was another day…maybe she wouldn't give too much of a hard time.

What she did decide to do, was go down to the police station, and get some information on the strange assortment of villains that had attacked the city. Sure enough, at the nearest station, there were already heroes going back and forth, trying to figure out how villains had gotten past all of the carefully constructed defenses without alerting a soul, and then disappeared much the same way that they came. She found a spare terminal, and used the background chatter to look up names. _Lucas D'Vampe. Age unknown, estimated upper fifties. African American, unknown origin. Wanted for Drug sales, Drug Production, Arson, Murder, Armed robbery..._ The list went on for a ways, and Johnny thought back to the older man she had attacked. Back in the Rogue Isles, Lucas went into their secret hideout, which from the outside was nothing more than a Podunk little cave in the wall. But his interior decorators and engineers had done more than enough. Inside, it was well lit, luxurious, and spacious in a kind of cuboid way. There were several massive rooms and halls, excavated in a grid like fashion, white stone, hardwood floors, and even a zen garden. He smiled as he reached into his coat pocket, fingers brushing his new focus for his magic as he went for his favorite cigars. He had lost his old focus, a heinous crime in the eyes of voodoo practitioners, but he had left all the tradition and religious mumbo jumbo behind. He was playing a new game now, and brought a new set of powers with him. No more was he some small time thug looking for some born-again religion. Magic was magic, and voodoo was a kind of magic he loved. But he had put together money from growing drugs, enhancing them with magic, hired minor street gangs to start him along his way, and now pulled the rag-tag group that was called the Hellraisers together with his own blood, sweat, and lots more of his enemies' blood. It was off to a rocky start, but between the main four of them now, he had no doubts they could overcome any obstacle, so long as they were careful.

Back at the police station, Johnny went to the next name. "_Vanna" (Presumed name) Name unknown. Caucasian. Origin unknown. Age unknown, suspected mid thirties. Wanted for illicit sales, illegal weapons and R&D, sales, terrorist acts, armed robbery, and murder._ Vanna stepped through the small archway of the cave, heading into her lab. A small fold of bills flew behind her, and the two spec-ops looking people grinned behind their night-vision gasmasks. Payment for a job well done, that was how Vanna secured her PMC dealings. That, and supporting them with highly reliable shielding technology helped a lot, too. She went into her lab, grunting sourly when Jack wished her well. She was a businesswoman and scientist. However, she had to admit, this new deal was nice, she might start to loosen up some to her new family. She stepped out of her suit coat, slipping into a voluminous lab coat and laying her modified rifle on a workbench, grabbing her tool case. Maybe it was just her age catching up to her, since she was old enough to be Lucas' grandmother, though she still looked the right age to be his daughter. She smiled a bit as she began to remove the emitter matrix from the assault rifle. Who said that horrendous accidents in a lab couldn't be a good thing? She had never felt good about working in a Nazi R&D team, but the past was the past, and considering she had aged almost two years over the last sixty, she was looking forward to a long future, and lucrative, so long as Mr. D'Vampe kept up his part of the bargain.

Johnny raised her eyebrows as she cruised to the next file. _Jack Bale. Candidate for Interpol's most wanted. Age 24, Caucasian, Origin Rogue Isles. Wanted on over six hundred counts of murder, seven and forty counts of arson, destruction of government property, destruction of private property, assault, sexual harassment, cruelty to animals, impersonating a member of law enforcement, impersonating a medical professional, drunkenness in public, public nudity…_ Johnny felt an anime-style sweatdrop forming as she scrolled down a list that just went on and on. "What the hell is this?" She muttered to herself. The Jack in question went down to the zen garden, the demonic face mask in a big smile as usual. He turned to the fireplace that was completely empty, before bursting into huge gouts of flame. He enjoyed working with an old friend like Lucas. He never tried to get inside Jack's head, or tell him that there was anything wrong with him, or to try and 'help' him. Lucas just wanted Jack to do his job, and with plenty of opportunities to burn things, Jack was more than happy in his line of work. He looked at Lucas like a benevolent old uncle. Well, as much as anyone as disturbed as Jack Bale could.

Johnny sighed as she looked at the next file, almost sighing in relief. _Amy Bale. Age 17, Caucasian, Rogue Isles. Wanted on forty counts of destruction of government property, private property, assault, and manslaughter._ The girl looked relatively normal, well, as much as any girl with red cat ears in a mane of fire engine red hair could look. Pretty too… Amy practically leapt into the zen garden, grinning at a job well done, though she was still a bit perturbed about the heroes, she was home, and they had more money. A job well done! She saw her adoptive father, Jack, as she walked in, and her grin got wider as she caught him in one of his few moments reminiscing. She had always had a hard life, abandoned on the streets for as long as she could remember. Starving, fighting over garbage to survive. But when she had started to grow, she had started to get strong. Soon, she was taking everything she needed to survive, and then Lucas had found her. He had offered her kindness, nice things, and compassion, and she had fallen like any kitten- or girl- would have. She viewed Lucas as a surrogate grandfather, and used her abilities to the benefit of the family, and then she had met Jack. More zany than even her, crazy, and destructive, but there had been something, some sort of strange, severely twisted paternal bond between the two, and then, well, the rest had been history. One quick trip to the courthouse, and the new father-daughter pair were laughing joyfully as they demolished the burning wreck of the courthouse. She climbed into the tree in the zen garden, reminiscing as she reached into her robe for an old photo, her cheeks quickly heating as her fingers came in touch with a weird figurine of sorts made of polished wood. It had been Lucas' old voodoo focus. She didn't know magic, but she had wanted it, and the thing always caused her to feel… Unusual. Now a bit older, she knew what those feelings were, and it only made her more determined not to give it back. Besides, Lucas had replaced the old one anyway…

Johnny scooted away from the computer, sighing as she rubbed her temples. This was a group of intelligent, capable psychopaths, if there ever was one. She felt out of her league. She needed to start trying to become stronger, but at the same time, she made a mental note that somehow, she wasn't going to let these people get away with whatever they wanted. It was time to start trying to become a better hero…

Six and a half weeks later, Price sat on the bed in the state of the art physical therapy clinic, having his pre-procedure interview with the physician in charge. "I'm not sure why you were scheduled. I don't deliver these services except for people actually in NEED of regenerative tissue therapy. You won't be here long." Price smiled. "I'm here because I'm a hero, I'm in need of a fighting advantage, I've signed a waiver, and I have what I need to pay." He said, handing over an envelope. "Inside, is a waiver I had drawn up by my attorney. You could cut my head off with a hacksaw and you would be without blame." He said. Sure enough, when the physician opened the envelope, he saw an extremely well-written contract, and a large fold of bills. A large fold of large bills. He gulped, taking a moment to compose himself before putting on reading glasses to go over the contract. A moment later he said "Well mister Price, I think we're in business." Price shook his head. "Price is my legal name, this is off the records. I'm mister Smith here."

Author's Note:

Shiney: Well, there you go. My last real chapter for a while, but don't fear! It's only a temporary exile, and I've left my partner in crime with a good number of base materials to post (Some of them good, some of them to make you lose your lunch, and some of them, I have no doubt will cause ceaseless requests for fanservice. _)

The-Tramp-Truffle: Partner in crime is here! For those few of you to believe in us…..! Good luck your gonna need it, now I need a frickin cigarette.


	5. Here Comes a New Challenger!

Here Comes a New Challenger!

Price was sitting at his desk with the early morning sunshine filtering through the half shaded windows. As he felt just a little sick; the operation went well enough but it left him just a little woozy and not all there at the moment. The doctor said it would pass with time. He didn't hold much hope for it though. He lightly blinked his eyes. "Need to stop sleeping at my desk." He murmured to himself blinking away the dreariness of the morning and slowly yawned and stretched a little bit, ignoring the pain that raced through his chest section. The sword wound that Amy had afflicted him with still was capable of tearing open, but he had put heroism aside for a little while as to not make Johnny freak out with him making more excuses but a scar would settle in with time. With thoughts muddled and stretching aside he saw his computer blink a little bit, so he clicked on the blink.

His eyes darted across the screen and read the script, the light reflecting against his irises, with his eyes hiding many things as he read the news. "Hmmm." He said and closed it down. His thoughts traveled around his head for a moment and he shrugged the news away. With that he stood and lightly went to his door and decided he needed to munch on something. On what, he had no idea. As he opened the door to the house proper, Johnny was sitting at the table in her Pajama pants. Normally she wouldn't wear pink but there it was. She wore a black tank top and pink pajama bottoms with slippers that looked like monkeys. "Morning" he said and she raised a spoon his way as she munched on the cereal in her bowl. He pulled up a seat lightly moved her feet off the table and she put them down. "Well…to put it bluntly; how do you feel about a new roommate?"

Price deftly raised the place mat like a shield as Johnny spewed forth milk and bits of cereal. She wiped her mouth of with the back of her hand "You did what now?!" she asked incredulously. Price sighed, thinking quickly to cover for the fact that he, as a registered hero, was being paired with another to help control the city's recent rise in crime rates after the Hellraisers incident. "An old friend is coming to town, she needs a place to stay, and she can pay, she's just got some trouble back home." He said, hoping he could insinuate this cover story into this… Evelyn character they were sending to his residence. Weren't they supposed to provide like two weeks' notice before pulling shit like this anyway?

Johnny wanted to be mad but the current mess she had made her thinking she needed towels and rags to clean up said mess. She sighed and resigned herself to go grab a towel. "Ok…well that makes a bit of sense…so when does she get here." She said and lightly tossed a towel over the mess and continued with the clean up. "Well you see, that's just the thing. It happens that I got the mail ju-" He was cut off by a knocking at the door, and as Price promptly face-palmed, Johnny was able to put two and two together. "That's her, isn't it?" she said a little disappointed. Price shrugged and Johnny shook her head. "I'm going to go get dressed." She said and took two steps away and then pointed at him "You are going to let her in and clean up the mess" she said and disappeared into her room to go try and put on the appearance of normalcy. She decided a pair of blue jeans, white socks, black fingerless gloves and a simple dark blue top that read; _Tell you boyfriend to stop texting me. _She sighed and walked outside as she didn't necessarily hide her electronics, but tried not to flaunt it off. Even to this day it was kind of a touchy subject with her. After a moment to square herself, she went back out into the main room, and got the second-biggest shock of the day.

Long, blonde hair, dark enough to be considered dirty blonde by some, hanging down to the floor when she sat at the table, and light skin made for a beautiful contrast with her golden-amber toned eyes held wide open, making her look almost whimsical. This wasn't helpful, considering that her wardrobe was a long, dark grayish blue robe with voluminous sleeves and cuffs that hung freely, sparkling in a starry pattern where the sun hit it. Moreover, around her neck, on her fingers, and elsewhere, she was decked out in all sorts of jewelry, signs, and magical symbols. It looked like an occult pawn-shop had been dumped on her, and she only kept what stuck to her. Some symbols were Masonic, others were clearly Satanic, while others appeared to be neo-pagan, and more that Johnny had no idea what they meant. Moreover, there was an obscenely large suitcase by the table with scraps of paper sticking out of it, and a large file cabinet on a dolly next to where she sat.

An awkward silence spread for just about a second and the girl turned towards Johnny and smiled lightly. "Hello, you must be Johnny. Price here has told me about you." she smiled and lightly gestured towards the seat next to her. "I'm sorry I arrived at such an ungodly hour, it was kind of important to get here quickly. Troubles at home, you know?" She said, still seeming almost completely friendly. She held out a hand for her. Johnny apprehensively grasped the small girls hand and smiled. "My names Evelyn Rocheheart, I'm 17, my blood type is AB+, some people say I'm strange but I prefer the term happy go lucky, my hobbies include occult, mysticism and chatting with Price" She said.

Johnny lightly smiled and nodded as she was slightly weirded out. The handshake was fine enough what was bugging her was her eyes didn't know where to settle on her with so many bits, bops and doo-dads and other such instruments but eventually it landed on the dolly and decided not be rude since she was in the room. "So what's the filing cabinet for?" Johnny asked "Oh well that's for where I keep all my toys!" she exclaimed as she lightly put her fingers together. "You would be amazed what they can do" she said and smiled. Johnny on the other hand flushed red. "Well…that's…awesome" she said and decided to let that subject drop as well. Price with the small lull between Johnny coming out and Evelyn coming into the kitchen, had explained the situation quickly to her. "I'm supposed to be registered with a secret identity, major inconvenience." He said, his features hard as he became 'all business.' "Not that it's not nice to meet you." Well, maybe not _all_ business. "I need a cover story, fast. Vigilante roommate, can't find out I'm a hero." She had thought surprisingly quickly, but some of what she said had weirded out Price nearly as bad as it had Johnny, he was just glad he had the willpower not to blush at the mention of toys.

"So," Johnny said, starting to think normally again. "There's a problem, we kind of don't have a third bedroom." At this, Evelyn smiled, and said "Oh, that's not a problem at all, you might want to step back, this could get a little…much." She said calmly with an air of spine tingling danger rippling from her, and she began to weave her hands and fingers in intricate patterns, where her finger were, they left a trail of fire in midair that did not fall. Before gesturing forcefully towards the wall of their apartment the small trails of fire swirled between her fingers and she snapped and a large ball of fire flew towards the wall which exploded in a curtain of fire. At the sight of flames, Price was already tucking and rolling, Johnny herself had jumped backwards, but this new girl wasn't done yet. Evelyn continued to focus, waving her hands in another, but even more confusing pattern, taking carefully calculated steps as the bits and pieces of the wall reformed, becoming a whole room built off of the side of the apartment complex, leaving another whole bedroom assembled, even the same coloration as the rest. After a long moment of thought, Price bothered to ask "So, does that void the deposit?" And Evelyn shrugged. "No way to tell, really. I'll make it up to you if it does…though it seems I'm a little short on cash I'm afraid I spent." Price just shook his head. So, that was one problem taken care of, but there were quite a few other adjustments to be made…

Not long after, Price was sitting at a café sipping on some coffee. He hated coffee with a passion, but it was something that he could do and focus on, calming his nerves from the explosions, floating objects, and unusual noises ringing about their apartment ever since the magic lady had moved in. They had honed their cover story after the first few days, and life was starting to get almost normal. Price choked down another sip, wondering if the coffee might taste better with some fresh potting soil. He just needed a break every now and then. Human life wasn't meant for this kind of stress. "Why," Price asked the clouded heavens. "Why, are all the women in my life consciously trying to make my life more difficult?"

Meanwhile Johnny and Evelyn had unknowingly decided to bond in their own way. It was evident because they had got to talking, and it hadn't taken long to figure out that Evelyn was a cape in training. She had credentials and the backing of the government, being a registered hero, so unknowingly they had gotten into a heated argument over which would be better; to have the law behind you, or to take judgment into your own hands. The argument had turned stalemate by the calm of Evelyn stating simply the benefits were much better and that she knew she had a secure job in the current economy, while at the same time Johnny had her passion thrown into the mix on how no law would ever stop her from righting the wrongs in the world and how the freedom outweighed being tied down. They eventually had somehow taken things to the kitchen, and once the toaster floated by Johnny's head, she ducked out as Evelyn in her dark blue robes held out a dainty hand as the upside down toaster that was not connected to an outlet popped out two piping hot pieces of toast. "Arrgh! Will you stop with the magic mumbo jumbo! It's creepy watching my room clean itself sometimes!" she exclaimed and at this, Evelyn just leaned her head to the left and shrug as she nibbled on said toast. "It's not my fault….by all technical it should be the faulty gravity spell that went off the other day…but don't worry it's only temporary but if you suddenly find your tooth brush inside your hair dryer it was Price." She said with a small smirk, having a little fun with Johnny.

Author's Note:

Shiney: Chances are, if you're reading this, I've already made most of my preparations to leave. I may or may not still be around. SAVE ME RAPTOR JESUS! Anyway, sorry about that, got a little excited. Anyway, enjoy the story, enjoy the productions of Tramp_truffle in my absence, and remember, reviews are gold! Even if you don't have anything amazing or innovative to say, just review and let us know you care. 3


	6. Price’s MelancholyThe Benefits of Trave

Price's Melancholy/The Benefits of Travel

Johnny sighed a bit as she came into the apartment. It was odd, but they had seemingly adjusted at long last to the new addition of Evelyn to their lives, though from the looks of things, the wizard, as well as Price, were gone. The place was empty. Smiling a bit at the relatively unusual silence, she went to the fridge and grabbed a cola, before tensing. She heard the lock turning in the front door, and some old reflex told her to hide, and so she crouched low in the almost imperceptible gap between the refrigerator and the cabinet to the side. Price walked in, she heard him muttering darkly, and he came into the kitchen. Worried she was going to have to give an awkward explanation, she stayed quiet, listening to him open the fridge, and then grabbing a drink. Then she heard something click. "Audio Diary, March Fourth, Eight-thirty-something AM." Now, it was a bit interesting. Johnny listened intently as Price went into the living room and sat down on the couch. "No one's in the room, so it's a good a time as any to make a new entry. I'm falling apart." He said, and Johnny could hear that he wasn't feeling well, he sounded exhausted. "I don't know what to do. The Doctor said I'd be fine in a few weeks, and I am. Physically, at least." Johnny was confused, not knowing anything about any doctor visits. "I'm not strained, dizzy, or out of it anymore, and I'm moving around okay after the procedure. But, that doesn't help the point of the matter. God, I'm rambling, where do I start..?" After a long moment, she heard him continue. "Johnny, that's it. Whenever I have problems, I can always rely on Johnny to help me focus. I look up to her in ways I don't completely understand. I almost idolize her, and yet, we've grown up together. I envy _every thing_ about her, and yet… I know that I had feelings for her, and very likely still do, beyond those of a friend. But I can barely rationalize any more, I don't know what to think. Not that it matters. She's so far above me, so better than me in just about every way, and she's got powers. God, what I'd give just to be her equal, so that maybe… Nevermind." There was a long pause, leaving Johnny feeling like she had been struck by lightning. "I am who I am, pathetic, but that's not going to stop me. As for Johnny, I don't know. God I wish it could, but I don't think our relationship will ever become anything more than friends. I don't even know why I'm doing this anymore. I'm being driven mad by it all, and yet I can't bear to leave, I love being a part of it, even when it's this tiny, insignificant one. I'll never leave her so long as I'm welcome, but I've got to do something, something to get back that purpose. I'm having a hard time finding a reason to get out of bed these days. End Entry." He said, and with an audible click, he rose from the couch, going into his room and slamming the door. Johnny had no idea what to say, what she COULD have said to that. "Oh, Fuck, jesus-shit, PISS!" She said aloud, degenerating into a long string of curses that were barely audible. "Well, there's no way I'm going to be able to look him in the eyes now…" She muttered. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know, okay?" Johnny jumped with a sudden curse, looking up to see a slightly frazzled looking Evelyn clinging to the ceiling of the kitchen by what looked like the equivalant of green jello that hung around her mid section and kept her clung to the ceiling, a place where Price rarely looked. "You…." Johnny bit a curse off and said "You…how the hell did you get up there?", putting her hands on her hips as she looked up at the newcomer. "Well I was trying to enlarge the jello, but it seemed I accidently set the spell from enlarge, to explode. How it manages to stick like this astounds me, I'll have to do further research on this anomaly later… oh and I might be having my occult club meet here to tomorrow I hope you don't mind" Johnny bit the inside of her cheek she didn't know whether to get mad or well get mad. She took a few deep breaths and lightly climbed the counter and touched said jello and her left arm started to glow and a few seconds later and large burst of electricity blew apart the Jello making an outright mess of the kitchen. Johnny was on her stomach on the floor as globs of Jello fell to the floor and slid down along the walls. "Goddam…wumph!!!" she said as something hit her back and she looked up and Evelyn was sitting there with jello in her long brunette hair as she smiled softly. "You know that jello is good" she said as she picked up a piece of Johnny and lightly nibbled at it, thank you for breaking my fall though you make a wonderful cushion."

Not long after, Johnny was witness to another bad situation. She heard a quick knock at her door, and Johnny quickly got up to open it. Outside her bedroom, she saw Evelyn standing holding a few bundles. "Quick let,me,in,let,me,in,let,me,in,now,fast!" She said, brushing past her. Johnny was befuddled for a moment as Evelyn rushed in, and dumped her bundle on HER bed. "What the hell do you think you're doing wi-EWWW! What the HELL?!" She yelled, as there was a large, yellow bundle of hair, but more importantly, a few pairs of boxers on HER bed. Evelyn looked at her as if this sort of behavior was totally normal. "I wanted to make a clone, and I need DNA for that. Skin cells, hair, traces of excretions, Etcetera." "Excretions?" Johnny said, her expression blank before becoming angry once more. "WHY do you need _fecal matter_ of all things?" "Magic doesn't always make sense." Evelyn said, brushing aside the bundle from the rest, and Johnny saw it for what it was. Apparently, in Price's underwear drawer, there was a wig. A long, golden-blonde wig. Johnny immediately started to freak out, holding her head in her hands as her thoughts started racing. _Is he a crossdresser?! Does he have leukemia? Maybe he's into some kinky things? Maybe he's paying for the apartment by whoring himself on the streets?! What the hell is going on here?!_ Evelyn looked at Johnny with a confused look. "What are you freaking out over? I got what I came for." Johnny looked at the bundle of underwear in her arms. "What do you need that for anyway?!" Evelyn looked a bit irritated. "I told you, I wanted to make a clone." "Of. What." "Hell if I know. Let's try and see!" she said with the air of mysticism and mystery.

Later, Johnny was simply out walking, trying to get some fresh air and take her mind off of the craziness of it all. Between what was going on with Price, and the magic that Evelyn used all the time, it was getting hard to get some peace and quiet. She reminded herself that she'd always have these walks to calm her down, when a nearby building exploded, and she began cursing at luck, karma, and any gods that might be listening. She ran to the building, which appeared to be some data storage company, only to find two young looking girls running out. It took her a moment to realize what had happened here. The way they were running, the Olympian speed they ran with, and the large portable drive in one of their hands. Apparently, the villains here were the girls. "Stop!" Johnny said, and they ignored her, rolling past her. Not well amused, she sent jolts of power running down her limbs as she poured on artificial speed to catch up to the young entrepreneurs. "I said _stop_, god damn it!" She yelled, and they did, but not from her. Sir Percival was there like a ghost, leaping across from some unknown origin, his sword laying about in their path, forcing them to skid to a halt. Quite literally, they skid for a good two and a half feet, it was almost comical. "I do believe you have made the wrong choice, girls. You can make it easier on yourselves if you surrender." He said in that noble tone, pointing his sword at them, and now Johnny got a good look at their adversaries. They both possessed greenish-hazel eyes, and light brown hair that fell just past their shoulders. They were absolutely identical, seeming each-other's reflection, wearing identical pairs of jeans that stopped just above the calf, and short-sleeved white polo shirts. If Johnny had to guess, they seemed maybe fourteen or fifteen, and were amazing athletes. "Flash!" One said, looking to the other. Their eyes met, and nodded as some silent communication passed between them, and began to blur as they ran at top speed, not to escape the Knight Errant, but to fight him.

Percival stood his ground for a few short moments, suddenly glad of the muscle tissue treatments he had undergone, accelerating development of both white, red, and pink muscle radically, allowing him years of work and buildup in a matter of months. He was faster, stronger, than he had _ever_ been before. Not superhuman, but much stronger than your average joe. His reflexes carried him with bewildering speed to him, and he allowed them to do just that. He reacted to the blurs in his peripheral vision more than thinking of how to fight, his arms snapping left, then right, then above him as the two girls blurred with superhuman speed, and then he leapt. He didn't know why until after he had, but he saw that he was about to be swept from behind, and he grimaced under his bandanna. He was faster, but it didn't really matter, these two actually had powers. He felt outclassed, out of his league. Taking an insane risk, not out of any sense of duty, but not caring if it went poorly, he leapt onto a car, then a van, then with a leap, grabbed onto the support structure of an overpass to the interstate, climbing up on the high-traffic route, pointing his sword derisively at the girls. They took the bait, blurring almost out of sight before they stood in traffic with him. Car horns wailed, the wind gusting and swirling as cars nearly missed, swerved, or paid no attention to the hero and villains on the roadway. Here, where he didn't care if he got hit or not, he could push every advantage. He could see the strain on the girls as the fought to stay aware of the two-way traffic, and at the same time, press their teamwork against the more experienced fighter. Price was using the flat of his blade of course, even in his half-dead state, he couldn't bring himself to draw mortally upon the girls. It looked like his plan might have worked, but they were just too fast. Unless he caught them completely off-guard, he could swing, and they would speed away before the blow could connect. They likewise couldn't get the jump on him, for all of his attention was focused on the girls. Speed didn't help them when they were predictable. Until finally, it seemed that his luck ran out. He heard a horn wail directly behind him, and turned to see a middle-aged woman screaming behind the wheel of a minivan, children in the back-seat. He had thought he didn't care, but reflex took over, and he spun, leaping with only one foot to power him upwards, and was amazed. His body was propelled higher than he had ever been able to jump even when properly springing. His leg hit the windshield, and spun him, and by luck more than nothing else, dropped him neatly on the asphalt on one, then both feet. He stared, growling deep in his throat as he saw the two girls had grabbed onto the van, and were using it to power their escape, still holding to drive. Powered by cutting edge, possibly dangerous medical technology, and he still wasn't good enough. He sheathed his sword violently into his sheath, the force of the movement rattling his teeth with his new strength. He glared at the fading van, rage burning in his eyes to try and burn away the disappointment he felt for himself.

Meanwhile

Johnny had been about to go after the twins when Percival had decided to step into it. She didn't feel the need to go after them but she could see the fight slowly going against Percival. She was all for stepping in but then she would be in the same position he was in though. She followed the fight as she watched the Twins and made note of what happened for the most part all she could tell was they were exceedingly fast. She could get just about their if she strained it but it would leave her exhausted afterwards…these two were achieving this kind of speed without any real show of strain. She watched and in wonderment why some kids were so young and stealing from….what were they stealing? She couldn't remember no major truck for cash she didn't dare look back to find out in case she lost them. Eventually she heard a large bit of honking and she cursed. "Mr. knight you are a freaking retard." She said and watched and waited and then saw something she cursed at. A child had been walking on the pedestrian walkway and since a car had crashed it had sent the child rolling over towards the end of it the child grasped the ledge the scream that came from the childs mouth sent chills into her very marrow she had heard a very similar scream when she was younger and it had left her scarred for life. She didn't know how she did it but she did what her electronics seemed to be doing for her. Her feet were glowing way too bright for even her trying to charge it and she could feel the electricity spark out touching cars and blasting street lights and then she was running in blur across cars and trucks and the like she could see the child getting lower and lower as the boy wailed for help. Suddenly Johnny felt nothing under her feet as she launched her self from a semi truck leaving a very nasty dent and incredibly large explosion of electricity and her arms reached out for a lamp post to launch her the last dozen yards how she grabbed it she didn't know. Her systems had gone into an override mode on their own but she was airborne slicing through the air like a neon green bat out of hell and she grasped the boy before he fell but she had forgotten about the landing and she twisted and grimaced as the ground was coming in at a fast pace too fast and she covered the child with her own body and the bridge shook slightly as there was an intense and deep crater that Johnny had landed herself in a couple of feet deep. She took inventory of herself…what was weird is she wasn't hurting as bad as she thought she should be. She looked over herself and she found her systems had crashed her hands no longer glowed and neither could she any juices coming out of her feet. She looked back and there was devastatingly deep crack of lightning that seemed to outline her body. "Ah…fu….hell" she said reminding herself there was a child in the immediate vicinity. "Uh….a little help here….please?" she called out and then her attention went to the child he was breathing and nothing looked broken or bleeding. "Little guy must have gone unconscious from the speed I caught him at" she murmured and then waited and soon found a familiar face staring up at her and she blinked how far into the wall was she in the wall and how far up was she?

Sir Percival made his way down the bridge, never having felt his body so light, or his soul so heavy as he went down. His recklessness had put someone at risk, and Johnny had needed to save the day, to be a real hero. He was disgusted with himself as he easily hopped down from the overpass, using the structural support, a streetlight, and then a van to head down to street level, heading over to the crater. He went to the deep hole in the building, marveling at the power Johnny had obtained somehow. He pushed his way past the crowd none-too-gently as he walked over to the building in question, wincing at the damage inflicted to the brick-and-mortar surface. He saw the child, and quickly reached in. "I'm so sorry." He said, knowing there was nothing else to say for his recklessness, and at the same time knowing it could never be enough. "Please, let me help you both out of there."

"I'd appreciate but you might have to carry us both at this point…I used too much power and I can't use my limbs at the moment…" she said softly "Careful he's asleep once we get out could you try to find his mother?" she asked a little vulnerable now that her powers had basically abandoned her thank god not in the middle otherwise she would be in a stretcher in emergency care. She smiled though at Percival and tried holding out a hand that seemed difficult for her to do.

At the sound of the word 'mother,' there was already a woman nearing hysterics trying to push him aside to get to her child. However, pushing a very muscularly dense young man wearing Kevlar and a flak jacket was easier said than done. He reached in, gently taking the young child first, supporting his weight as he passed her to the woman. "Make sure to take him to a doctor," He said, not knowing if she could hear him through her relieved sobs. "He looks fine, but it was still a strong impact." He turned, smiling underneath his bandanna, even though it felt false. He had failed, he had allowed thieves to escape, and his actions had endangered not only innocent lives, but one of the few people in this life he cared about. He quickly, gently took Johnny's hand in his down, pulling with scientifically enhanced muscles, then taking her arm, and her full weight. "Begging your pardon, Ma'am." He said wryly as he lifted her from the hole, supporting her weight bridal style. "And where would you like to go, this afternoon?" He said, managing to feign a subservient tone to her, that of an eager servant. Moments before he could manage that sentence the crowd that was around them erupted in applause as they surged forth with smiles and hand shakes and pats on the back and more than a few words were spoken and more often then not the words hero were spoken. Any conversation Percival had been trying to have died with the roaring crowd. Johnny was smiled at thanked and more so given hugs and tokens of appreciation and it took more than a second to recognize he too was being thanked about his heroism to stop the unjust in their tracks and such after so much time Percival made it through the thundering crowd to the words of Hero.

Percival felt a little bit of a smile come forth, and this time, it was genuine. He responded as well as he could to the myriad of thanks. He still doubted himself, but it was hard to be sour and critical in the midst of people thanking you, even if he felt that Johnny was the only hero here. Eventually, saying that Johnny needed her space after a stunt like that, he managed to move through the crowd, which rapidly dispersed as it's center of attention moved away. "I'm sorry about that." He said, and he wasn't sure whether he meant the botched heroics, not being there to help her sooner, or the crowd. "Ah yes, I believe I was asking a lovely young lady where she wished to be escorted to?" He said, more of his chivalrous tone returning, sounding almost normal. Johnny giggled a little trying to protest about being carried like a blushing bride but she could tell her systems were locked for another couple of hours. "Uh…I think we should go to a place where I can relax…if I go back to the house now there will be questions…like who's your new friend and such…really embarrassing…not that I find you embarrassing! No I think…that your fine just how you are…I mean…I think your fine in as a hero….and a colleague!" She said trying to make it sound like she wasn't flirting and ailing horribly and just resigned herself to be a little more quiet before digging a deeper hole. She breathed in deep and let it out. "What I mean my good Knight is I would love to be taken to my….well my secret spot where I can no matter what." Percival nodded, trying not to show the heat that had begun rushing to his face as she stumbled over her words. He wondered what she'd say, if he took off his wig, bandanna, and glasses now, but of course, decided against it. "Then please, my fine lady, give me directions, and I'll walk you anywhere in this god-forsaken city." He said, shifting her in his arms slightly. He was very, very glad he had his muscle therapy, as the electronics in Johnny made her weigh a good deal more than a healthy girl her size should. Now, though, he could probably juggle her, though it was an interesting mental image, he didn't think he could even bring his mischievous side to do such a thing. Not to Johnny, anyway.

Johnny smiled and slowly raised her hand an brushed her raven hair out of her eyes and she smiled and it really did reach her eyes they shimmered as if a wind had just blown through her deep forest green eyes. She lightly reclined in Percival's arms wondering if really had super strength or of he was just really normal. That was made her blush feeling that strength in his arms the way they cradled her and she ducked her face. And muttered to herself for a moment and then gave him the directions. It wasn't too far but height was more of the problem but it would be a cake walk according to her so she lightly held on to him as he escorted her through out the city they talked lightly though remarking on the city and how the villains have keep coming in though they had no idea how they did it. "I have a few minor ideas," Percival said, thinking. "Nothing I can back up with solid research yet, but usually there are ways in and out of a city that almost no-one knows about. My real question is, what could they be after? In the past three months, they've raided a bank, and a national library. It's obviously more than just cash they're after, but we don't have any clue what their goal is. We don't even know if those girls are somehow related to the Hellraisers. For all we know, they could be advance scouts. It makes me pretty upset that I couldn't even stop them from getting away with whatever it was they came for, let alone question them." He said, his anger allowing him to sound more the hero than the angst, a fact that he was grateful for. After all, the _one_ person that he cared for his image with was Johnny, and just maybe Evelyn. "What do you think about the whole thing?" He said, turning as directed by his passenger.

Johnny shook her head "First I ever heard of these people…I happened to be on a walk and low and behold the kids run out in front of me." She said softly and felt kind of insignificant to an actual hero who was more than enough confidant in his abilities to take down thugs and freaks with powers. She didn't have the guts to do such thing to go with government. "I don't think I could handle that kind of pressure…every one relying on you…at all times…I think it would kill me inside" she said softly as she lightly touched his arm. "The kids getting away was not your fault…I couldn't have kept up with them if tried" she muttered feeling very inadequate. "But I mean look at you taking both of them on at once! That's amazing they were moving so fast I was amazed you made it out of there without a scratch on ya!" she said and felt herself snuggle into the warmth and comfort of his arms. "So like…I know this is kind of personal….but you happen…to be seeing anyone?" she asked feeling a little light…._WAIT! Had she just asked him out! Oh,god,oh,god,oh,god,oh,god,oh,god what the hell am I thinking am I on crack! _"You know…it seems kinda suspicious you know….how you always seem to be a crime scene before I even show up…or how you always seem to find yourself involved in fights that I'm in….I mean that must mean don't get a lot of time with her right?"

Percival almost stumbled at the sudden change in topic, but regained his stride smoothly. _"Damn it, I knew this would happen."_ He thought to himself, and cleared his throat as his thoughts began to race. "Believe it or not, under this mask, I'm still a regular person, and not all that confident at that. A fight for my survival is one thing, telling a pretty lady you like her, well, that's much more difficult. Especially when there's so many differences between you." He said, trying to spin the conversation away from how he always seemed to be around her, but at the same time secretly hoping she would push the issue. "Now, that's not to say there isn't a person I'd _like_ to be with, even I have an idol, but as I've said, we're in very different circumstances, and I doubt I could hold a candle to the type of person they deserve." He said, very careful to look straight ahead as he followed her directions. He was terrified, and secretly wishing that something might slip, that his secret would be outted. At the same time, he was afraid of what might happen to their friendship, or of her always trying to keep him out of danger when all he really wanted to do was prove that he could be as much of a hero as she did almost without seeming to try. "As for the government, there's very little pressure, and not to mention that there's a safety-net should something go wrong. I worry, for vigilantes like yourself. I respect what you do, but at the same time, you're taking such a risk with no one to rely on but yourself." "Nah I don't work alone….I kind of have you to watch my back…which is weird but not unpleasant" she said and smiled and then after having him go through a couple of alleys there was what seemed to be an old as shit elevator in a corner it had warning tape all over it and such with rust all over it. "Ah we're here" she said and lightly shifted her way out of his warm grasp and stumbled a little but was on her feet as she reached a hand for his shoulder and he helped her over to the elevator. "It's no secret base but…I come here when I need to think or even just rest." She said and murmured thanks that it still had some juice since she was out. Stepping into the elevator it felt just a little cramped since it was made for one. "Um…just hold still I guess" and she pressed a button and the elevator shuttered to life. As it creaked and groaned as it were breathing life into it coming back form death itself. After a couple of minutes they had eventually gotten to the top of the building and she stepped out of the elevator.

Johnny stepped back a couple of steps and looked at Percival and smiled as the sun slowly set behind her body letting the orange and red rays illuminate her body as she lightly tucked a stray piece of black hair ear. "Well welcome to my own Haven." She and gestured towards the rooftop. It didn't seem to have anything too amazing about but it had her touches to it. The building was apparently condemned but it seems everything was still intact. There noticeably large amounts of rugs and blankets about the top of it a small hammock between a water tower and the small square which held the door to go downstairs. There was nothing really there here and there would be either newspapers or books lying about and she giggled and lightly walked forward and fell down on her belly and snuggled into a fairly large pillow. "Well don't just stand their sit down"

Price, underneath the chivalrous veneer of Sir Percival felt so out of place, being welcomed, almost honored in Johnny's own private place. But here he could let his own inner actor take the lead, and so Sir Percival said with a grin that was as evident on his voice as his face "'Twould be improper for a gentleman to sit before invited." He explained, sitting down close to her, but not invading her personal space. He gazed around as he sat, marveling. Was it because that she had this private place to go that she was always so sure of herself, so capable? Or was it just because she was who she was, and this was another facet of that amazing person? Either way, he thanked whatever gods or devils might be responsible for bringing him here now. "It's surely a nice place for solitude," He said, returning his gaze steadfastly to her. "Though I have to say, much improved by your presence." He immediately went pale under the bandanna, wondering if his inner actor wanted to get him strangled with his own entrails. "_Good God, did I just __flirt__ with her?!"_

She blushed a little and dismissed the remark. "It's all cause of my stupid roommates…always driving me crazy and never an ounce of silence anymore." She said sarcastically. " I mean it's like I'll never get any sleep at the rate I'm going…" she said and she smiled a little and looked down. "It's always fun though…to come home and see them waiting for me…never being alone…having people to talk to and who care about me…" she said and lightly looked up at Percival. "What about you…do you have people who care about you my so called Knight?" she said and lightly sat back and grabbed a bean bag lightly held it in her arms. It was a defensive maneuver for her whenever she got a little nervous and she lightly buried her chin making her look cuter as if she were trying to hide in the bean bag. "It's strange though…" she mentioned as her eyes kind of spaced out "I feel comfortable around you… I don't know why I brought you here…or well you brought me here" she said carefully. "I guess I need to vent or something"

Percival was definitely on shaky ground now, but he knew from having his life on the line so many times that if you stop on unstable ground, you go down with it. So he plunged ahead, giving everything to getting 'in character' with Sir Percival. "I do have people who care, but they don't know what it is I do." He said, trying not to make eye-contact with her, but his eyes always kept wandering back to her. "If they knew, my deepest fear is that they would pity me, or try and stop me because of how I'm ill-suited." He said, giving her a smile. "So yes, while there are people who do care, I will eventually have a great debt of secrecy to work off to them." He paused as she went on about him being a seemingly welcome addition here. "Well, be it venting, or catching a bullet, or some similar task, I promise you that so long as I can, I will always be eager to help you, Miss Appleseed." He said, staring through his lead-lined glasses at the girl. "If there is ever any sort of help you need, you always have my service."

She giggled softly into the bean bag. "You know no one talks like that anymore?" she said and looked at the man in question who, had on quite a number of things that must be exceedingly heavy on him. She blushed at thought of him taking it off and stopped and shook her head sending her black and neon green hair flying from left to right. "Well… that's good to know that there will be a knight to come and save me when I need him." She said and felt that inner girl peeping out to take a look. The one who still had the fantasy of a knight in shining white armor coming to save the princess. She furiously shook her head and banished that thought from her brain. "But…I guess I do need to talk to someone about something that has been on my mind…it's being weighing me down a lot lately..." she said softly. "If you don't want to hear it I understand everyone has places they need to be" she said ending the last part in a tone that did not fit with her, it sounded depressed, even melancholy at times. Her body language was another give away how her feet retracted to her as if she were curling up in a ball.

Percival looked at her. Not just took note of her, but really examined the girl in front of him, for the first time in a long time. She had been almost cheerful, giddy, a side Price hadn't seen in a long time, and then suddenly, she had flushed, and seemed to be depressed. Now, being a man, without keen insight into the workings of a female mind, he didn't think to assume this sort of thing could be natural. "Please, speak as you will, I have nothing more important than being here for you, but I'm concerned, are you feeling all right?" He asked, his arm half raising as if to reach for her forehead before it fell. "Please, just let me know how I can help you, how I can be there for you…" He said, drifting into a low murmur at the last part, not meaning it to be heard.

Johnny shook her head softly and tried to perk up and smile but it didn't reach her eyes and her head fell a little. "I'm not alright…I…I'm just remembering things that are…hard for me" she said softly and squeezed the bean bag tighter and she breathed a little letting it out shakily. "I…I don't want to trouble but I have a feeling you won't leave unless I speak my mind now" she said and gave a very small cracked laugh. It sounded as if an angels wings had snapped. She looked at the bean bag. "You know…I never got these…powers through nice means…and the reason is even less glamorous." She said and looked at her fingers and hands a very confused look passed behind her eyes. "Would you listen to me….I really need to talk to somebody about this" she said and she didn't dare look at him as she could feel the beginning of a very hard trip ahead of her and she didn't want to cry.

Percival was getting up and crossing the distance to her before he even knew what he was doing. He gently reached down, taking her hand in his, trying to make eye-contact despite the glasses. "Absolutely. However many times I must tell you that I am here to help, I shall. I would gladly listen to any problems you have to ease your burden. Please, I beg of you," He said, and deep inside him, a cynical voice of Price remarked that he must be _really_ getting into character. "Please, allow me to be here, to hear out your problems so that you needn't bear them alone." Then he did something stupid. He reached up, pulling the red glasses from his face, revealing golden hazel eyes, and gently reached for her chin, applying the smallest degree of pressure, trying to guide her eyes to his so that she could see that he was sincere. The only thing that really mattered to him at that moment was her. San Francisco could burn to the ground if it meant getting her past whatever demons she held under those emerald eyes… 

Johnny could feel her hand being taken and her circuitry felt weird without any power in it. The usual green was no longer there as if it had died the weight that served no purpose made it seem that she had only dead weight left with her. She wouldn't look at him she couldn't she would start crying. She wouldn't, she couldn't, she wasn't allowed to cry, she didn't need to break down…not here, not now. A very panicked voice told her whatever she did not to look at him even the kind words he spoke were more than enough now. Making her pain a little soothed knowing she could talk to him but then he did something unexpected she felt his rough callused hands come under her chin and tilt her eyes up and they met and she was tearing up and a small liquid tear fell from her eyes. Then she shook her head and looked down. "Ok…ok…ok….just give me a moment….I need to…think about what I'm going to say." She said and stood and turned dropping the bean bag and turned towards the setting sun she grasped her elbow and spoke towards the sun though it was directed towards the sun. "Let me start at the beginning I guess…you might want to sit down…this is kind of a long story."

After a bit, Percival remembered to return his glasses to his face. "Please, take whatever time you need, I have all the time in the world." He said, his attention staying focused on her. Worry still bubbled within him, but not for her, rather than his secret. Price had only seen Johnny act this way once before, and so this was definitely not a good sign. "The beginning, then." He said, looking at the descending twilight around them, and wondering what she was dealing with. He felt what would soon be a slight chill to the air, and by reflex and route he removed his flak jacket, offering it out to her in silence, so as not to interrupt. His arms were still well covered by the long-sleeved shirt he wore, and the red Kevlar vest over the top of that. The Jacket was heavy leather with protective plates sewn inside, and would keep her equally safe from explosions, and the evening chill.

She nodded and lightly took the jacket in silence and wrapped it around herself and felt a lot of weight come onto her shoulders and didn't think she could hold that weight without her powers so she resumed to sitting down at least she would stay warm and not worry about it bruising her arms. She took a labored breath and let it out slowly. "I was 7…when my life changed." She said softly. "I had a friend, she was the closest thing I had to sister. She meant the world and even though she had some problems due to some disabilities…she always saw life and happiness in everything…she never resented anyone or anything because of her circumstances" she said softly almost happily "But…one day we were walking down the side walk...it was stupid we wanted to go to her house and ask her mom if we could go to the movies…" she said softly as she choked on her words a little. "S-she had turned to me and was smiling…so serenely not a care in the world her eyes were closed to…and then she was gone…" she whispered "A truck driver had been driving without sleep for a long time and had fallen asleep behind the wheel….I-I-I….I still can feel the blood…it had splashed across my face…and she wasn't there anymore…" she said starting to lose her composure just a little her voice cracking ever so slightly. "I…I looked and she...she had been tossed a couple of yards away a-a-and…I couldn't…I couldn't stop it…" she whispered. "I couldn't save her…" she whispered to herself.

Percival thought back, and realized that he was having trouble figuring out where he stood in the line between Percival and Price. He remembered what had happened, how Johnny had been… Broken, for the longest time afterwards. He winced, remembering what it had been like during that time. It had been hard on all of them, he couldn't compare his pain to Johnny's, but seeing the one valuable person in his life in such a situation hurt him greatly, as well. He remained silent after that, allowing her the opportunity to continue, but it was hard for him, as he wanted to console her, to embrace her, but he wasn't the most experienced with women, had little confidence, and in addition, he felt once more that he might give too much away. Mentally sighing, he sat down close to her, ready to be there if she needed him, but trying not to intrude too much. Invited or no, he still struggled to be a gentleman.

Johnny could hear the creaking of the metal on his person, they way his clothes lightly swished against each other as he moved and sat down next to her. She wouldn't allow herself to cry…not again. She shuddered as she took in a collective of breath and breathed out very slowly. "I…couldn't deal with life…I couldn't deal with her death. The funeral came and I hid in my covers screaming that it was a lie." She whispered softly. "I screamed and screamed and begged and cursed everything and everyone around me" she said "I missed her passing and I visited her once I had somewhat accepted it…the doctors said it was alright to feel that way…how it was ok to feel weird….I didn't feel weird….I felt responsible for it….that too passed…but I had too much emotion to let it drop." She said and then lifted up her arm. "This was my answer…I gave up my body and my soul to the scientific progress of man." She said softly. "I remember it well…I was 9 I had spent months thinking on how to repent…how to make the world smile like she used too…I'm of course skimming over some of the more darker parts but…I digress" She shuddered she did not want to share she was suicidal at the age of 8 and how she spent a couple of weeks in an institution…her friend Price had seen her leave bad and come back worse. She stopped and sobbed dryly. "I searched through the web and for longest time no one had anything…organ donations, blood donations, transplant they were all taken from the dead…it appeared no one had need of a very young girl very experiments…but they someone e-mailed me…saying they wanted to help…that I could give back while still living…" she whispered. "I was young…naïve…I didn't understand someone had wanted to weaponize human beings. So I consented and two days later I was awoken to the sound of intruders and my family…died quickly…quietly no pain…they slept and they didn't wake up…then I disappeared of the face of the earth." She said and lightly leaned forward. "I could go into details but I don't think I can do that right now…" she said "The quick and brutal version…they succeeded they gave me arms and legs that ran off my abnormal bio-electric energy and then they gave me the training to use them…but what they forgot was…hell hath no wrath…like a woman scorned…I can still feel the blood flow…the way it splattered against linoleum, how lives flashed before my eyes and only death was left." She whispered and didn't in the least seem repentant. "I did not do it for revenge I did….because I was not the first…and I was not going to be the last…they had made a break through….and I personally destroyed everyone and everything in the facility…I'm not a vigilante by choice…I'm a vigilante to save myself in case they come looking for me"

Percival sat there, stunned as he tried to process this new information. "I… See…" He said, the information filling in gaps in Johnny's past that Price hadn't even known existed. "And here, I thought that _I_ might be starting to catch up to your bravery." He said wryly. "I see that I've clearly got a long way to go to try and catch up to such a person like you." He said, looking at the girl next to him, marveling. His emotions were all tied up in knots, and he knew that before anything else, he'd have to sort out how he really felt about all of this. When he looked at her, he felt emotion, more different kinds than he could name, but none of it was negative. Still, he had to understood where he stood before he pushed her to tell him how she felt. "Well, I certainly hope you know that you've got one person who'll always be there to help you." He said, raising one eyebrow almost comically towards her. "No matter what, I'll always help you, no matter the circumstances." Johnny looked up softly at the setting sun as it slowly descended it to the darkness "I hope so...Percival…I really hope so" she whispered to herself and lightly stood up and walked towards the edge and lightly looked down at the ground. Her limbs slowly glowed back to life as it looked like she was fine. "I think I've had enough of my confessional time… till next time My Knight." She said and turned and smiled softly as a small tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it off and her fingers sizzled with the electricity. She turned and just dropped off the side and disappeared to leave Percival to him and his thoughts.

Author's Note

Shiney: Well, if you're reading this, I'm already gone. Enjoy, and while I'm gone, enjoy a number of side things that I've planned out with Tramp to keep you entertained in my absence.

Percival: Aren't you forgetting something? SHE TOOK MY FLAK JACKET! .

The-Tramp_Truffle: Awww get over it she can keep it as a memento. So as of this instant I am the Supreme Commander!!! Muhahahaha!!!!


End file.
